WASTE NOT WANT NOT - REAL JUNK FOOD BENEFITS
Me as a toddler 'helping' Hilda to milk a cow. My sister watching.
Tiny scale farming like this I don't have issues with it's the larger scale. But that's a topic for another time...
we are part of nature, not a separate entity
The way we market and process food is very detached from its source and what is natural. Growing up I was (as others) conditioned to only want food that is uniform and 'clean' [1]. I remember every time I'd visit Colombia after moving away I wouldn't like the look of their peppers or cucumbers and would often eat around them just because they were different (unknown) to the ones i'd eat in Europe.
I question what caused that fear, whether it was wanting to conform to a consensus view of peers or wanting things to look right. How has my outlook been shaped by society's perception of beauty. Where did I get my notion of what is aesthetically pleasing?
'Perfect'
https://depositphotos.com/254177968/stock-photo-fruits-and-vegetables-collection-isolated.html
https://behavioralscientist.org/how-sight-not-taste-smell-or-touch-became-the-sense-of-the-supermarket/
'Imperfect'
https://grist.org/food/the-latest-french-fashion-eating-ugly-fruits-and-veggies/
https://www.timeforkids.com/k1/ugly-fruit/
Sadly, when I went back recently (to Colombia), they had more Eurocentric food which I now believe has less flavour. [maybe revisit the point] - westernised.
I was however fortunate in my early years to take part with our neighbours farming in Colombia which I really cherish (me and my sister pictured at top of page). I'm looking at ways I can personally reconnect with nature and insuring as much food doesn't go to waste.
Having grown up mostly in a cities I think this exacerbates the detachment from nature [2]. There's this epidemic that people don’t want to buy food that is irregular/discoloured as it's seen as unsanitised and bad.
Over the last few months I've learnt and taken part in ways I can connect with food in a more holistic and natural way. I've evaluated things from my past, present and hopefully the way I work towards a more natural outlook of life and practice.
[1] I will say family did try very hard to sway me away from this but I've always had more of a picky attitude to food unfortunately, but I have come a long long way since I was younger.
[2] I've made effort as had my family to still be connected to nature but I still think more people are becoming more detached from the source of food compared to previous generations.
Gardening and Reusing Food
Yoeri came and did a talk/workshop with the class, I found it so invaluable and lack for of a better word: inspiring. At his allotment he started a seed exchange with neighbours, which has generated a plethora of crops - he even bought some in to show which was fun.
His talk made me want to look at doing my own farming in one way or another. Below are some things I’ve been doing over the last few months involving propagation.
Avocados - Spring onions - Mint
For the avocados you take the skin off, wrapped with a damp paper towel and then store in a plastic bag in a dark place. Once sprouted you put them in water as shown.
For the spring onions you use the ends and place in water.
For the Mint you also place it in water.
This little project has been lots of fun as I get to see every stage of the process - it's something that make me feel more connected to nature and I would suggest you do it too!
Community Project
This idea of reusing food fitted in perfectly with my group project. We have worked with the Afrikanrijk Co Op where they asked us to come up with ways of using food from the market that would otherwise go to waste. They have a recycle corner that has been set up where volunteers recycle the crates and food from the market next door.
Food we made!
Posters and takeaway flyers we are putting up at the CO-OP during food events.
It been great doing this project as actually collecting and then cooking the food ourselves makes it even more impactful. We are able to be part of the process of food not going to waste!
We Have Enough Food
This project heightened what I already knew: the fact we do have enough food! Yes, globally there is a growing population and people say we are running out of food, which is true if we carry on the way we do. So much food is wasted daily and it's sad to see how many people could eat if it was distributed in an equitable way and if people learnt about ways to reduce food waste - It's not any individuals 'fault' but is a systemic problem that people need to come together to solve - through means like education.
https://www.theuglyfruitgroup.com/
PEOPLES OUTLOOK ON FOOD NEEDS TO CHANGE ON A WIDER SCALE
The Ugly Fruit Group in the UK (among many other groups/projects) know that Reusing, Donating and Educating are vital for reducing food waste and hunger.
https://www.theuglyfruitgroup.com/
IT'S ALREADY (BEEN) HAPPENING
There are many organisations that do things to help promote, teach about food, to cook and to reduce waste. Among my peers I definitely sense people are aware of their food waste or want to reduce it.
Real Junk Food Project
https://www.realjunkfoodbrighton.co.uk/about/
https://incrediblesurplus.org/locations/
Odd Box
https://www.oddbox.co.uk/why
Community Kitchen BRIGHTON, UK
https://bhfood.org.uk/category/about/
Chickens in Belgium
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8539877.stm#:~:text=Residents%20of%20a%20Belgian%20town,the%20birds%20in%20their%20gardens.
https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf23042005_030
https://limburg.net/kippenactie
https://www.reddit.com/r/belgium/comments/z7cmyr/is_there_any_truth_to_the_belgium_city_gave/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMFpjN2S4/
The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS)
I will say I had this as a child and I think it would have been even better if it were offered to all school children. Everyone would get excited about fruit and vegetables but that quickly wore off. It was also good because it didn't leave anyone out.
Governments should do more to tackle outlook on fruit and vegetable and schools are great environments to do it in.
https://www.sustainweb.org/news/jul20_school_fruit_veg_reinstated/
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standards-for-school-food-in-england/school-food-in-england
Me cooking some mushrooms - something child me would be shocked at!
FINAL COMMENTS
It's been great to delve deeper into food-waste and how to re-use it. This is only the start and I hope to build a farm of all sorts of vegetables in my home as well as branching out and looking at different initiatives I can get involved it. And not judging food as much!